An Eye For An Eye
by xPOLARISx
Summary: Values will be tested and decisions will be made...
1. Prologue

An Eye For An Eye: Prologue  
  
A chorus of expletives was muttered in an incoherent barrage from all ten members of the Delta team as soon as they entered the dimly lit room. Their mission: to find and extract Agent Lauren Reed and Agent Angela Kim. However, Lauren Reed was no where to be seen, and Agent Kim lay in an unmoving ball in a dank corner. Weiss hovered over her limp body to check for a pulse. He turned to make eye contact with Sydney and nodded. There was a pulse; she was alive. Sydney cleared her throat, "Base Camp, this is Mountaineer. We've found Agent Kim. She's unconscious but alive. Agent Reed is no where to be seen, over."  
  
Dixon sighed and rubbed his face. He looked up at Vaughn, who was standing over his desk, and slowly shook his head. Vaughn's prominent worry lines became even deeper and he clenched his jaw and pressed his lips together, his mouth becoming a thin line. Wearily and not knowing what else to do, Dixon spoke into his mouthpiece, "Mountaineer, this is Base Camp. Our satellites aren't picking up on any other bodies. Consider mission accomplished and get out of there."  
  
Sydney looked around the room. All other nine agents were just as reluctant to leave as she was, but they had no choice. She began to walk out of the room and said, "You heard him; we're going home. Weiss, can you handle Angela by yourself?" Weiss nodded, picking up Angela's lithe body easily, and followed the other agents out to the awaiting helicopter. 


	2. Part One

An Eye For An Eye: Part One  
  
She slowly opened her eyes, trying to adjust to the bright light that was being filtered through her blinds. Puzzled for a moment, she checked her surroundings to discover that she was no longer being held by the Covenant; she was in a hospital room. A smile of relief overcame her wan face; she was no longer in hell.  
  
"Angela?" Excited to hear the familiar voice that she had so longed to hear, Angela's smile became even broader. In the largest voice she could muster, she excitedly said,  
  
"Weiss!" Thrilled and shocked to see Angela awake, Weiss stood glued to the spot. His large frame blocked the doorway and his mouth moved uselessly in attempts to speak. He finally got out the words,  
  
"Oh my God," and moved to ecstatically scoop her frail body into a bear hug. Too weak to embrace him, Angela just let herself be held. She rested her head on his shoulder, but Weiss suddenly pulled away, gaining the ability to string a few more monosyllabic words into nonsense sentences. "Ang- Did you? Wait, no. I mean. When?" He stopped, and smiled sheepishly, "Damn it, these are for you." He pulled out a dozen, slightly crushed, red roses from behind her back. In his eagerness to hug her, he'd forgotten that he was holding the bouquet. Angela cradled the flowers in her arms and took a deep breath of their heavy fragrance.  
  
"Thanks, they're beautiful," she whispered. With an uncharacteristic gentleness, Weiss traced her prominent cheekbones and asked,  
  
"Have you been up long?" Angela put the roses on the square, wooden bedside table and shook her head. She then lay back down, and he held her slender hand in his large one as he continued, "The nurses and doctors said you were malnourished and you'd wake up if they just got some nutrients into you."  
  
"The nurses don't even know I'm awake. I should alert them," she said, reaching for the call button next to her bed. Weiss grinned impishly and stopped her. "Nah, if we tell them you're awake, they'll call the CIA; and Syd will be in here A.S.A.P. to debrief you." Angela laughed weakly and asked,  
  
"How's Lauren? Is she awake yet?" Weiss froze for a moment and swallowed hard before bluntly saying,  
  
"We couldn't find her when the team went into extract you."  
  
Angela gripped Weiss' hand tightly. Had she just heard him correctly? There was no way Lauren couldn't have been in the room with her. They had been together for the entire time, at least until she had passed out. How long had she been passed out? Why had they taken Lauren and not her? What was.  
  
"Angela?" He interrupted her thoughts. Gently cupping her chin, he softly said, "It's alright, honey. We'll find her." Angela touched his hand and rubbed it. She whispered in a trembling voice,  
  
"I want to talk to Syd, now. I want her to debrief me so I can tell her everything I know." Weiss shook his head and answered,  
  
"No, you're too weak. It can wait." Firmly and in a clearer voice, she repeated,  
  
"I want to talk to Syd."  
  
---  
  
"Angela!"  
  
"Sydney!" The two women greeted each other and shared a long embrace before Sydney sat down in the hard chair next to Angela's bed. Sydney opened her mouth to speak, but Angela cut her off, "Sydney, I honestly don't think I'm going to be of any help, but I need you to tell me what's going on. Lauren tried to save me on that mission, and. and she's in this position because of me, and. I- I want to do whatever it takes to find her." Sydney nodded and answered,  
  
"The CIA knows nothing either. We have no leads. The last one we had was the location of the warehouse where you were being held. The Covenant made an anonymous, untraceable phone call to the CIA. They left an address and said that the CIA would find what they wanted there. I headed a team into the warehouse; our team expected both you and Lauren to be there, but we only found you." Sydney paused, and Angela furrowed her brow. There was silence as Angela processed all the information she had just been told.  
  
"So they obviously need Lauren for something," Angela finally said. "The Covenant must have staged the entire thing. They were using me. as a distraction, I guess?" Sydney pressed her lips together before answering,  
  
"We don't know. That's one possible theory, but probably."  
  
"Sydney, we have to talk."  
  
Sydney sat still as soon as she heard the intruder's voice. She could have recognized it anywhere. Not bothering to turn around, she said coldly, "In case you haven't noticed Agent Vaughn, I'm in the middle of a debrief. Would you mind excusing us?" He said simply,  
  
"The CIA has new intel."  
  
"Then why haven't I been paged?" she asked. Vaughn rubbed his face and sighed. He said quietly,  
  
"I can't get into that right now, but I think you need to know this. Please, just hear me out." Sydney swallowed hard and sat unmoving, as if she were analyzing her options. She finally stood up though and turned to look directly into a pair of tired, green eyes.  
  
"I'll be back in a minute," she told Angela as she walked out of the room with Vaughn. 


	3. Part Two

An Eye For An Eye: Part Two  
  
"So?" Sydney asked expectantly. She stood with her arms crossed, shoulders back, and chin up, as if she were a bored queen dismissively asking a lowly servant for the daily village happenings. Vaughn looked down at his feet and looked up at Sydney, but he didn't-no, he couldn't-quite meet her distant, regal gaze.  
  
"Syd. I. I shouldn't be telling you this. The CIA doesn't want you to know what I'm about to tell you because they don't even want to consider it, but I feel that you should know what's going on. The Covenant will kill Lauren in 48 hours, but they are willing to return her." He stopped to rub his face and finally meet her gaze. Not knowing how else to tell her, the words came tumbling out of his mouth. "But only if they get you in return."  
  
Sydney could have sworn that her heart stopped beating for a moment. She stood frozen and expressionless, in shock; and then, a deep anger began to bubble up inside of her. "You. You bastard!" she exclaimed. "You defied the CIA and came to tell me that you want me to turn myself into the Covenant so you can have your wife back?" Vaughn interrupted,  
  
"No, Syd! I, I thought that this should be your decision." Sydney retorted,  
  
"MY decision? Do you realize what kind of position you've put me in Vaughn? You're asking me to choose between your wife's life and possibly my own. You've obviously made a decision on which is more valuable, but what about me Vaughn? What about me? Never stopped to think about that, did you?" A tear slid down her cheek, and she tried to push past him. "Excuse me," she whispered, but Vaughn grabbed her wrist firmly. He made her turn to face him, and for the first time in a while, Vaughn looked tenderly into Sydney's eyes.  
  
"You're wrong Sydney. You know I'm on your side. I can't say who's more valuable because I love you both," he said softly. "But I truly wanted this to be your decision. And maybe you're right; maybe I had no right to tell you this, but am I wrong to want my wife to at least have a chance to live?" There was a silence, and Sydney dropped her gaze and whispered again,  
  
"Excuse me." Vaughn hesitantly loosened his grip on her slender wrist, and without waiting a beat, Sydney walked away.  
  
---  
  
After speaking with Vaughn, Sydney had grabbed her things from Angela's room and left as fast as she could without offering an explanation. Sydney made it to her car without shedding too many tears, but she had cried inside her car for a good hour before she had been able to compose herself enough to drive home. And now, she was home curled up on her bed in the shadows of her room, debating what to do.  
  
Of course, there was the apparent choice. She could just ignore that Vaughn had ever confronted her. After all, the CIA hadn't told her anything, and it was obvious that the CIA seemed to value her more in this situation. But, if she did that, would she ever be able to look at Vaughn in the face? She would indirectly be the murderer of his wife. Could Vaughn ever forgive her for that? And most importantly, would he still love her?  
  
And then, there was the other choice. As always, it was her chance to save the day. She would get to be the heroine, but would it be worth it? What if it meant that she had to sacrifice her own life? She had cheated death many times, but that was no reason to play with fire again. Then again, death didn't scare her as much as torture. Would the torture scar her for the rest of her life? If the Covenant killed her, at least she wouldn't have to deal with nightmares or fear; but torture would not only cause temporary pain, it could also bring a lifetime of emotional pain. In no way did she want to experience that. Disappearing for two years was enough; she didn't need anymore on her plate.  
  
Angrily, Sydney threw a pillow across the room. Life had never been fair with her, but now, more than ever, she wished she had control. Not control over if Lauren would die or not, but control over everything. She mentally kicked Sloane for cursing her with such an unpredictable life. And for a tiny moment, Sydney found herself longing for Danny, a white picket fence, two and a half children, a dog, and a job as an English professor. 


	4. Part Three

An Eye For An Eye: Part Three  
  
Sydney awoke to the sound of persistent knocking. Disoriented, she rubbed her eyes and rolled over to check her digital alarm clock; it was close to one in the morning, who the hell was at her door? "SYD! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! OPEN UP!" Sydney half groaned and laughed as she recognized the voice; of course, it could only be Weiss.  
  
She swung open the door just as Weiss was about to start another knocking and yelling fit. His fist almost crashed into her forehead, but he stopped just in time. Sydney instinctively ducked anyway and moved out of the way. "I come in peace," Weiss said as he presented Sydney with a grocery bag. Despite herself, Sydney couldn't help but smile as she saw the faint outline of a large bottle of tequila and a gallon of ice cream through the transparent plastic; he always knew how to make her feel better. "I thought you might need the pick-me-up after your run in with Vaughn today," said Weiss. So, he knew. She wondered how he had found out, but she didn't really care at that moment. She was just glad that she had someone to be with; and although, his cheerfulness seemed a bit forced, at least he wasn't acting like he pitied her, and that she was grateful for.  
  
Weiss came in and Sydney shut the door. They started to walk towards her kitchen; as they walked, Weiss put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed it affectionately. Putting her hand over his to squeeze him back, Sydney apologetically said as bravely as she could, "You really didn't have to come. I'm alright, and I know you want to be with Angela." Weiss stopped walking and turned to face Sydney. He firmly placed both hands on her shoulders and held her gaze.  
  
"Hey, it's okay. You need me more than she does right now. Don't ever feel like I'm here out of obligation. I'm here because I'm your friend and I want to be here." Sydney nodded as a tear slipped down her cheek. He was so good to her; ever since her return, he'd slowly replaced Vaughn and become her new confidant.  
  
At the thought of Vaughn, Sydney suddenly and uncharacteristically broke down into sobs. Taken by surprise and not knowing what else to do, Weiss pulled her shuddering body closer in for a bear hug. He rested his chin on the top of her head and whispered soothingly, "Shh. Shh. It'll be alright." But instead of calming down, Sydney shook her head fiercely and pulled away. She answered almost hysterically,  
  
"No! No! That's the problem Weiss. NONE of this is EVER going to be alright. My life is NEVER going to be what it was. I keep trying to be strong; I keep trying to accept everything that comes my way, but it just gets harder every day." Wiping her tears, Sydney looked away and crossed her arms across her chest, ashamed at her public display of emotion and frustration. She had to remain strong. Weiss gathered her into his arms, trying to calm her. He closed his eyes, as if saying a prayer, and said simply in a voice wrought with love,  
  
"I know." After a brief moment of silence, Sydney whispered,  
  
"I should put away the ice cream before it melts," and hurried away to the kitchen.  
  
---  
  
Weiss poured the first shot of tequila and slid it over to Sydney. Without a second thought, Sydney downed the entire shot. The burning heat of the tequila sliding down her throat was therapeutic, and she eagerly downed the second shot that Weiss poured her. "Hey, easy there," Weiss cautioned. Sighing deeply, she lowered the glass and rubbed her face.  
  
"So, how did you hear about the latest turn of events in the doomed love story of Sydney and Vaughn?" Upon hearing her question, Weiss tightly gripped his glass and poured himself a shot. He answered with a hint of anger in his voice.  
  
"Angela told me about how you rushed out after speaking with Vaughn. I confronted him in the hallway, and he told me everything. I nearly beat the crap out of him. God, just wait until your father gets back from his conference with Sloane. He's going to burst a blood vessel or kill Vaughn."  
  
"Or both," Sydney whispered softly.  
  
"Yeah, Vaughn better pray that the blood vessel bursts before your father gets to him." And without any more words, they both downed another shot.  
  
---  
  
"Syd?"  
  
"Yeah?" Sydney answered while absentmindedly stirring her spoon in the melted puddle of ice cream at the bottom of the carton. Pouring himself some whiskey-the tequila had long since run out-he asked,  
  
"If you don't mind me asking, what are you going to do?" Sydney stopped stirring and rested her chin on her folded arms, as if she were thinking. She grabbed the whiskey from Weiss and swirled it around in the bottle. The amber liquid created a mini-whirlpool inside the bottle, and Sydney instinctively took a swig. Finishing it, she stared at the now empty bottle as if she were wondering where all the whiskey had gone. Weiss took the bottle away from her and set it down. "Hey, just forget I asked. Come on, let's get you to bed." He tried to lift her up, but Sydney stubbornly shook her head and drunkenly slurred,  
  
"No. I.don't want. I. I want to drink." Weiss firmly shook his head, and then, Sydney began to cry. "Weiss. I-I'm going to turn myself in. There's just no other way." She was sobbing uncontrollably now, and she clung tightly to him. Weiss held her and began to cry too. He rocked her back and forth like a child until Sydney repeated softly, "There's just no other way," one last time and drifted off to sleep. 


End file.
